April 17

LEVITICUS 21
A few days ago (2013), a bomb went off during the Boston Marathon. Since then, the TV airways have been flooded with images of what happened and is happening. Today at lunch I watched a special news report as I ate. They interviewed one of the investigators who has a master’s degree in video imaging. He talked about how within the last 5 years, how the everyday technology of cameras, phone cameras etc. has increased dramatically in quality. Part of the process of trying to identify the bomber is a plea to any and everyone who has video of the event to turn it over to the investigators. They are literally combing thousands of video images to identify the bomber, stop him from any further travesty and bring him to justice. In the meantime, we are constantly bombarded with images on TV, making it impossible to forget about this tragic incident.
Why was it so important that the priests had to differentiate themselves from everyone else in death, marriage and physical health? In the ceremonial law, to touch a dead thing or dead person caused ceremonial uncleanness. The priest’s job presented an image of God’s holiness. Physical death is part of the curse of sin. The wages or result of sin is death, separation. God is life, perfect union. The Father has granted for Jesus to have life in Himself. He is the giver of life. Jesus as our High Priest is the representative of life. He is the mediator between God and man who brings life. Since the priests of Israel were images of Jesus, they needed to be ones who were connected with life, except in the taking of the life of the sacrificial animal. The sacrifice of Jesus’ death was not arbitrary. It was deliberate and purposeful providing the substitute which we all needed. His resurrection secured the victory over death which we all needed. We receive that provision and victory when we are united with Him in His death and resurrection. So why did the priest have to keep himself from death? He was the image of the great High Priest who would defeat sin and death. His separation from death communicates to all the God is the author of life. His goal is to bring us life and not death.
Why was it so important that the priests had to differentiate themselves from everyone else in marriage? God continually speaks to us in Scripture by the image of marriage. His people are His bride. The image is that the love relationship that exists spawns new life. Marriage is not just a proper form designed for releasing a hormonal urge for reproduction. It is a committed relationship which produces life which finds its beloved to be most thrilling and results in more life. Jesus wants His bride to be exhilarated with His love to the point that we reflect the love of the Trinity for each other. In the midst of that exhilaration, He produces new life. The priests of Israel were to be a symbol of that relationship. The Bride of Jesus is to be pure and spotless, not a whore, not divorced, not adulterous, not homosexual. The priest’s marriage was to reflect that purity.
Why was it so important that the priests had to differentiate themselves from everyone else in physical health? The sacrifice was to be perfect. An imperfect sacrifice would not be sufficient in paying the debt of sin. Jesus, the perfect lamb of God, is sufficient to pay the penalty of our sin. The priest who presented the sacrifice had to be perfect as Jesus is perfect. He was an image, a symbol of the perfection of Jesus.
The power of an image is incredible. That is why we are instructed to make no image to bow down and worship it. God knows this. He created us this way. Immediately following the special news report at lunch was a Drs. reality show. It was ironic that part of the theme of the show was the selling of a calendar which featured the 12 most beautiful male doctors of the USA. Sale proceeds of the calendar would all go to the American Red Cross. We went from images of destruction to images of beauty and healing. Images are so moving, so convincing, so powerful. In the instruction of the priests’ response to death, marriage and physical health we see a reflection of the Glory of our Lord Jesus. He is the life giver whom death cannot hold. He is the perfect lover who seeks and will obtain a perfect bride. There is no lack of commitment with Him. He is the perfect healer, bringing us all new life. As I experience death, imperfect relationships and declining health, I know that He will overcome it all someday. He has made it known even in the reflection of the priests. He is the perfect priest! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 107
REDEEMED. Redeemed is word Christians throw around quite frequently, but how often do we stop to think of the import of the word? A few who read this have had the personal privilege of never having known the bondage of debt. Most who read this are from the middle class. Your debt has extended at least to the mortgage on your house. You know the tension of what might happen if you lost your job. Your house is just 6 months away from foreclosure. Perhaps a few of you know all too well the sinking feeling of having more debt than you could ever pay. Health problems combined with a low paying job and no insurance have financially sunk you. Even if you worked every day of your life and properly budgeted your money and lived to be 100, you would still never pay back what you owe.
In the Psalmist’s day, most everyone reading this would understand the danger of such debt. In his day you would be sold as a slave in order to pay your debt. The United States no longer permits people to be bought and sold on the market as slaves; although, we still illegally have slaves through human trafficking. The closest thing that we have to a debtor’s prison are the laws which we have for not paying child support. When I was involved in jail ministry in Brunswick County, about 1/3 of the people in jails on misdemeanors were there for not paying child support. For many of them, it was willful. For many it was a matter of economics. They did not make enough money to support themselves and the children they sired, who lived in a different household. What do you do when your debt owed is greater than your ability to pay?
In the Psalmist’s day, someone who needed to be redeemed was someone who owed more than he had ability to pay. In such a case, first his lands would be sold off. If there were still money owed, that person’s family and even himself could be sold as a slave. But God had made a provision for such circumstance and instructed the nearest of kin to come in and buy back the person in debt. That act of buying back is redemption. The nearest of kin was a redeemer.
The Psalmist calls the redeemed to declare the goodness of the Lord. Why? Because He has bought us back out of the slave market of sin and given us our life and land back. Many, either living in or having come through the degradation of living as a slave, focus upon the horror of slave life:
—hunger—either physically, spiritually or emotionally,
—darkness—physically, spiritually or emotionally,
—bondage—to sin or in some cases physical jail,
—death—separated from the life of God to know only the misery of this life.
Jesus seeks to set us free from them. It is our privilege and duty to declare His goodness for setting us free from the slave market of sin. We can participate in His glory. What a joy to declare His goodness in doing so! I was hopelessly lost in the consequences of my sin, and He died in my place. He paid the price for my redemption. I love the words of the old song written by the blind composer Fanny Crosby:

1 Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed thro’ His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.
2 Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.
3 I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.
Chorus Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
His child and forever I am.

When that song is on our lips, we are obedient to the command of this Psalm, and we have seen His glory! OH Lord, how great is Your goodness toward me for buying me back out of the slave market of sin! I was there of my own doing, yet You bought me back anyway! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ISAIAH 15
Isaiah has a ‘burden’ against Moab. Now, a burden can be either a weight to carry or a prophetic oracle. Here it is both. The prophet has a heavy emotional weight as he describes the coming destruction of Moab. One would think that Isaiah would gloat over the coming destruction of Moab; however, there is a sense of despair in this passage. It was the king of Moab who tried to hire Balaam the prophet to prophesy against Moab. There were centuries of adversarial relationship between Israel and Moab. Yet there seems to be a sadness in the prophet as he announces the destruction of the nation. In the first four verses he lists no less than nine of the cities of Moab.
I’ve been to what in modern times is called Medeba (perhaps this is near the ancient Medeba mention in Isaiah 15:2). Centuries ago it was desolate. No one even knew that there had been a city in this location. Christians from Karak migrated there in the late 1800’s. It was a place no one wanted. Not much green grows there (15:6). As they began to dig in order to build a foundation, they struck an ancient floor of an old Byzantine Church. The floor had many marvelous mosaics on the floor. One was a map of Palestine, as it was understood in the 7th century, containing a map of Jerusalem. Today it is a city of about 60,000.
But how does this passage relate the glory of God? Moab had a long history of enmity with God. It was born out of the incestuous relationship that Lot had with one of his daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Strange that the Nephew of the godly Abraham could become so infected by the world. The history of Moab is one of continued antagonism against the people of the promise, Israel. Eventually God did destroy them. Yet this passage strikes me as one of mourning over the waste of life and over the human misery involved. As a holy God, God could not let their sin go unpunished, yet he seems to mourn over its loss. I am reminded that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. Yes, that is our God, Holy. He makes every effort to urge men, women, boys and girls to come to repentance. What love, what long suffering, what patience! Yet one day the chance to repent comes to an end. It is marvelous! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Here are some pictures found of the mosaic found in Madeba. The first is Jerusalem in the 7th century AD. The second is a little larger shot showing the Jordan River, Jericho, the Dead Sea. Part of the map of Jerusalem (first picture) can be seen in the second picture on the bottom right:







LUKE 14:1-24
If you were given an invitation to attend a banquet with the President of the United States, and it was at a time at which you could attend and cost you nothing, would you go? If there were not assigned seating but people were seated on a first-come-first-served basis, where would you sit? If the truth were known, I think most of us would go, even if you didn't like the President's politics. After all, he is the President of the U.S.A. Also, most of us would do our best to be seated nearest the President as possible.
Someone infinitely greater than the President of the U,S.A. is giving a banquet, and all are invited. God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth and His Son Jesus, the Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords have issued and invitation to come and dine with them. It is an invitation that works on a couple of levels. The first and obvious level in this parable is at the end of time we are invited to enter into eternal fellowship with Him. It is at a time at which are able to attend, and in one sense it will cost you nothing. Is it something most are willing to do? Unfortunately many are so focused upon the things of this world that they fail to see the tremendous privilege to which they have been invited. Consequently, they choose things that pale in comparison to the privilege of coming to the banquet. Those things include, marriage, buying real estate, getting your business secure etc. One day they will wake up and find that they chose activities that have come to an end rather than entering into an eternal relationship with their Creator. Theirs will be eternal loss.
This invitation works on another level as well. Jesus bids us daily, indeed moment by moment to enter into a continual feast with Him, a relationship where we constantly are aware and act upon His presence. Unfortunately many are so focused upon the things of this world that we fail to see the tremendous privilege to which we have been invited. Consequently, we choose things that pale in comparison to the privilege of coming to the banquet. Those things include, marriage, buying real estate, getting our employment or retirement secure etc. One day we will wake up to find that we have wasted so much time in a pursuit that was cheap in comparison to what we could have had with Him. Like the final banquet in one sense this banquet is free. In another sense (as we will see tomorrow), it will cost you everything. The question is, "What is His glory worth to us?" Is it worth to us the sacrifice required to see it and to practice it on a daily, yes moment by moment basis? Lord, help us to see your glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john